LEGAZPI CITY—Albay Gov. Al Francis C. Bichara said he has no power to stop illegal gambling amid the continued operation of jueteng in the province.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the campaign against illegal gambling began early in March and includes all forms of illegal numbers game. The PNP said it would sue local officials and the police found in cahoots with the illegal operation.
President Duterte has made it clear that illegal gambling cannot thrive in a community without the support of the local government units (LGUs) and police officials. He said during his 22 years as Davao City mayor, jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling never prospered.
In an interview on April 12 with Bichara hosted by Ronda Bicolandia program of Home Radio Legazpi, the Albay governor was quoted as saying he has no power to stop jueteng, adding only the police can stop it. The governor said the allegations about the continuing jueteng operation in Albay was a result of the authority granted by the province in 2009 for the Meridien Vista Gaming in Cagayan to operate its online jai-alai, Ronda Bicolandia reported.
Non-governmental anti-illegal gambling groups claimed Meridien is being used as a front for jueteng operation, saying LGUs could not even show proof of the firm’s remittances to the province, cities and municipalities. No online jai-alai center can be seen anywhere in Albay’s 16 municipalities and three cities.
Ronda Bicolandia claimed during their interview, the governor allegedly admitted the province has no record of Meridien Vista Gaming tax remittances since 2013. A former congressman, Bichara was elected governor in 2015.
Bichara claimed that since illegal gambling is a police matter, he cannot act without courting the ire of other politicians.
Bichara’s Spokesman Danny Garcia, however, denied the governor was interviewed allegedly by the staff of Ronda Bicolandia regarding jueteng.
On August 6, 2016, then-Dagupan City Regional Trial Court Judge Florentino Dumlao Jr. issued an injunction against Meridien Vista Gaming Corp.’s jai-alai operation, popularly known “jai-teng”.
Meridien jai-teng operation was introduced on March 7, 2009, to operate within the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza).